Theme: A Sporty 4th
Wednesday, July 3 – Annual Hilly Hobble Foot Race. Registration starts at 6 p.m. in front of Hinesburg Community School (HCS). Cost: $5 adults and $3 children. All proceeds benefit Hinesburg Fireworks. The 10k starts at the bottom of Buck Hill Road West at 6:30 p.m., 5k starts at 7 p.m., and 2k Kids’ Run starts in front of Good Times Café at 7:10 p.m. All runners finish at Veteran’s Park.
Thursday, July 4 – Parade line-up at the bottom of Buck Hill Road West begins at 10 a.m. Participants should register at hinesburgrec.com. Judging is at 10:30 a.m. Prizes awarded. Parade begins at 11 a.m. and travels north through the village, turning on Mechanicsville Road, finishing at post office. Various activities will be planned post parade – check hinesburgrec.com for updates. Rough Suspects will perform starting at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks will be set up in the lower HCS lot. Fireworks at dusk behind HCS.
Tom Giroux is the 2024 Grand Marshall for Hinesburg’s July 4th Parade
Written by Dawn Francis
You know the guy. He is at every concert, sporting event, play and pub with live music. He has probably refereed, coached, umpired, mowed or lined the field your child plays on every season for the last 45 plus years. This year’s Grand Marshall for the Hinesburg 4th of July is Tom Giroux, who deserves recognition and appreciation for his many years of volunteer work in our community.
Tom wears many hats and has served on the Hinesburg Recreation Board off and on since its inception in the early 1980s. He is a Cemetery Commissioner, assists with town elections as a Justice of the Peace, and is always behind the scenes ensuring the town’s concert series, recreation leagues and 4th of July run smoothly.
Frank Twarog, chairperson of the Recreation Commission, praised Tom’s contributions, saying, “Tom Giroux has been the longest serving member of the Hinesburg Recreation Commission, with years and years of volunteerism so far under his belt. He is an enthusiastic supporter of every single one of our events. From coaching to delivering spectators to the bandstand for the Wednesday Night Concert in the Park series to gathering Fourth of July float prizes to rallying support of both past and current special events, Tom’s efforts are tireless and so often unseen. As just one example, over the last decade, Tom has personally delivered thousands of dollars of donated bottle and can returns so that the Bissonette Fields could be developed without tax dollars. No small feat, considering how many hundreds of bags, boxes, and bins there have been over the years. All of these efforts are most appreciated by those of us on the commission as well as the citizens of Hinesburg, who are the beneficiaries of decades of Tom’s energy.”
According to town records, 390,938 returnables have been collected from the community and from Papa Nick’s, which has raised $19,547 for the fields. For over 10 years, Tom borrows his sister and brother-in-law’s truck (Sue and Ed McGuire) two times a month to bring the bottles and cans from the Bissonettes’ barn to the redemption center.
Tom also volunteers for other organizations, including the Burlington City Marathon for 29 years. He serves on the marathon’s board as well as boards for the Hinesburg Record and Twin State Soccer. He is a regular lector and greeter at St. Jude’s parish.

Tom has been recognized by the Red Cross for giving over 42 gallons of blood and platelets; giving every two weeks. He also helps with the blood drives.
When asked why he works so tirelessly for his community, Tom attributes his parents, Bernard and June Giroux, for instilling the importance of giving back to others. Bernard was a Fire Chief for many years and June started the Hinesburg Record and school library.
Join us in cheering for Tom’s numerous efforts on behalf of our community as he leads the Hinesburg July 4th parade. He will be joined by his goddaughter, Kaitlin Francis Gilbert, and her daughter Sydney, who have also been the recipients of Tom’s generosity and kindness over the years.